Angel Di Maria, a close friend of Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo, continues to play well for his former team, Benfica, in the Portuguese Primeira Liga. He put to rest rumors of going to the United States and Saudi Arabia, returned to Benfica, where he grew up, and played ‘happiness soccer’, becoming a top-notch problem solver.
Di Maria started in the 2023-2024 Portuguese Primeira Liga 7th round home game against FC Porto on the 30th (Korean time). He played as a right wing forward in a 4-2-3-1 pattern and actively roamed the field until he was substituted in the 41st minute of the second half. He penetrated well into the right and center of Porto’s camp, and added strength to Benfica’s attack with sharp free kicks and corner kicks.
In the 23rd minute of the second half, when the streak continued, he scored the winning goal. He succeeded in scoring with a left-footed shot from the center of the penalty box. A cross from the left was connected with a left-footed in-front shot, and the ball hit the opposing defender’s body and deflected, causing the goalkeeper to take a reverse action and enter the goal. He marked his 5th goal of the season and jumped to the joint lead in the mid-scoring rankings. 스포츠토토
Di Maria worked with Messi at Paris Saint-Germain in French Ligue 1 in 2022. He also played with the Argentina national team and helped them win the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar last year. He also shared a meal with Ronaldo at Real Madrid in the Spanish Primera Liga. He played for Juventus in Italy’s Serie A last season, and although there were widespread rumors of a transfer to clubs in the United States and Saudi Arabia ahead of this season, he chose to return to his former team, Benfica. He is showing off his world-class skills at the beginning of the season and is playing an active role as the center of the team.
Benfica, backed by Di Maria’s winning goal, beat rival Porto 1-0 and took the lead in the league. They occupied the highest place in the league table with a season record of 6 wins, 1 loss, and 18 points. Porto suffered its first loss of the season and ranked 3rd with 5 wins, 1 draw, 1 loss, and 16 points.
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